Seat pivot



sept. 17, 1940. R K. MERRlLL 2,215,127

SEAT PIVOT l Filed Sept. 8, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l gmc/vwo@ Ralph K. Merrill @www Sept. 17, 1940. R. K. MERRILL .2,215,127

SEAT PIVOT Filed Sept. 8, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l Qwuc/wbofa Ralph KMU-raz atm/mq Patented Sept. 17, 1940 rrr-:Nr trice sEA'r Pivo'r Ralph K. Merrill, Grand Rapids, Mich., assignmtoy American Seating Company, Grand Rapids, Mich., a corporation of New Jersey Application September 8, `1939, Serial No. 293,87 6

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to seat pivots and more particularly to pivotal mountings by means of which the foldable seats of chairs of the opera type are pivotally mounted on spaced vertical chair standards.

The primary objects of the instant invention are to provide improved seat pivot mountings, each of which includes a yoke secured to the seat and adapted for ready and convenient attachment to or detachment from a seat pivot arm pivotally secured to theA adjacent chair standard; to provide a sliclable connection between each yoke and its seat pivot arm to compensate for variations in distances between the vertical chair standards; to provide an angularly adjustable connection between each yoke and its seat pivot arm to thus adapt the seat for .installation on relatively angularly disposed standards such as occur in curved rows of seats; and, to provide such seat pivot mountings which are eicient in use, rugged land sturdy in construction, and .reasonably economical in manufacture. f

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, where- 1n: i l

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of an yarcuate row of these adjacent theatre chair seats in their unfolded positions mounted bythe means of the present invention between spaced vertical chair standards herer shown in horizontal section above the seats, the chair backs not being shown in this view or in any of the `other vi-ews since they constitute no part ofthe presr ent invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged inside elevational view of a seat pivot mounting, certain screws for securing the yoke to the seat being shown in section on lines 2-2 of Figures 1 and 5;

Figure 3 is a sectional view thereof on line 3 3 of Figure 2 showing the seat in one adjusted position relative to an adjacent chair standard, the rear edge or the standard [being shown at the bottom of this View;

Figureli is a sectional view of the same showing the seat in another adjusted position relative to the adjacent chair standard, the rear edge of the standard being shown on the right in this view; A l

Figure 5 is a rear elevational view of the same; Figure 6 is a rear elevational view of the same on a reduced scale showing the seat in its raised position of non-use;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective View of (o1. 15S-s6) a seat and showing the yoke ofthe present in'- vention secured thereto; and

Figure 8 is a sectional view on line 8-8 of Figure 2. 4

' Referring to these drawings in which like parts of the structure are designated by the same numerals in the several views, spaced vertical chair standards It] are secured in any suitable manner to the floor of a theatre or the like, said standards being adapted to support chair backs l0 (not shown) and to pivotally support chair seats II mounted for turning movement to lowered positions of use or raised positions of non-use.

Each seat pivot mounting comprises a plate Y, p I2 securedv to an inner face of a standard I0 as l5 by bolts lf3 and a seat pivot arm It pivotally secured to the plate i2 by means of a clamping member I5 secured to the plate I2 as by means of a bolt I6 whose head Il is countersunk in the plate I2 adjacent the standard I il andl whose 20 shank I8V extends through an arcuate slot `I9 in the seat pivot arm Iand through a bolt receiving aperture 20 in the clamping member I5, the inner endof the bolt being provided with a nut 2l, all as best seen in Figure 8. The bolt 25 It is preferably provided with av squared portion 22 seated in a squared recess 23 in the plate I2 .to thus prevent turning of the bolt.

A ball bearing 24 is disposed in semispherical recesses 25, 26 'in the plate l2 and seat pivot 30.v

arm Ill respectively, said ball bearing 24 forming the central pivot forthe seat pivot arm I4. The clamping member I5 has 'a concave recess 2l engaging a convex surface 28 on the seat pivot arm vI4 in axial alignment with the ball lbearing 24 35l and a notch 29 on the clamping member: I5 engages a boss 30 on the plate l2 to prevent turning movement of the clamping member I5. A projection 3l on the seat pivot arm I4 extends into an arcuate groove 32 in the plate I2 and said projection 3l travels in said arcuate groove 32 during turning movement of the seat pivot arm I4 It Will be seen that these parts are all maintained in assembly by meansof 'the nut 2l threaded on the inner end of the bolt IB.

The seat is thus limited in its turning movement to a lowered position of use or toa raised position of non-use by engagement of the bolt I6 with an end of the arcuate slot I9 in the seat pivot arm vIll and/or by engagement of the projection 3l on the seat pivot arm I4 with an end of the arcuate groove 32 in the plate I2.

The structure above described is of conventional form and it has been the usual practice to secure a seat II directly onto the seat pivot M arms I4 pivotally mounted on the adjacent chair standards IU, the seat pivot arms having been cast in suitable form to accommodate a particular seat formation.

In the present invention, each seat pivot arm I4 is provided with an inwardly extending flange 33 of inverted U-shaped formation in vertical cross-section, said flange 33 being tapped intermediate the ends thereof to provide an internally threaded screw-receiving opening 34.

A seat mounting member here shown in the form of a yoke 35 likewise of inverted U-shaped formation substantially conforming in shape to the flange 33 on. the seat pivot arm I4, is provided with a laterally extending iiange 36 having bolt-receiving apertures 3l therein for receiving the shanks of bolts 33 by means of which the yoke 35 is secured to the outside of the seat Il, outside the upholstery covering 39 on the seat. A horizontally elongated slot 40 is provided in the yokeA 35 intermediate the ends thereof.

'Ihe seats Il lare installed on the seat pivot arms I4 by passing a machine screw 4I through the slot 4I! in each yoke 35 and turning the lscrew into the threaded opening 34 in the adjacent seat pivot arm I4. A lock washer 42 is desirably interposed between the yoke 35 and the head of the screw 4I.

Itwill readily be seen that the horizontally elongated slots 40 in the yok-es 35 permit a limited horizontal adjustment of the seats Il relative to their supporting standards I0 to thus compensate for variations in the distances between pairs of standards at the time of installation.

It will further be seen that by virtue of the single connection, the screw 4I, between each yoke 35 and its seat pivot arm I4, a limited angular adjustment between the seat II and its supporting standards Il] is made possible to thus compensate for the relative angular disposition of each pair of standards in a curved row -of chairs.

Figure 3 is illustrative of an installation in which the seat is installed lvery close to its supporting standard and parallel thereto whereas Figure 4 is illustrative of an installation in which the seat is installed more spacedly from its supporting standard but likewise parallel thereto. Figure 1 illustrates the relative angular disposition of the seats on their supporting standards in a curved row of chairs.

It will thus be seen that the present invention provides means for ready and convenient installation of the seats on theirv supporting standards and that said means are such as to compensate for variations in distance between, and relative angular disposition of, pairs of supporting standards, and while but one specic embodiment of the invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that certain details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as the same is dened by the following claims.

I claim: l A 1 l l 1. In a chair structure comprising spaced chair supporting standards and a seat supported thereby and therebetween, a seat pivot arm pivotally mounted on o ne of the standards, a seat mounting member secured to the side of the seat adjacent said standard and having a horizontally elongated slot therein, and fastening means passing through said slot and engaging the seat pivot` arm.

2. In a chair structure comprising spaced chair .supporting standards and a seat supported thereby and therebetween, a seat pivot arm pivotally mounted on one of the standards, a seat mounting member secured to the side of the seat adjacent said standardv and having a horizontally elongated slot therein, and a single screw passing through said slot and threadedly engaging the seat pivot arm.

3. In a chair structure comprising spaced chair supporting standards and a seat supported thereby and therebetween, a seat pivot arm pivotally mounted on one of the standards and having an inwardly extending flange, a seat mounting member secured to the side of the seat adjacent said standard and having a horizontally elongated slot therein, and fastening means passing through said slot and engaging the flange on the seat pivot arm. l

ll. In a chair structure comprising spaced chair supporting standards and a seat supported thereby and therebetween, a seat pivot arm pivotally mounted on one of the standards and having an inwardly extending flange, a seat mounting member secured to the side of the seat adjacent said standard and having ahorizontally elongated slot therein, and a single screw passing through said slot and threadedly engaging the flange on the seat pivot arm.

5. In a chair structure comprising spaced chair supporting standards and a seat supported thereby and therebetween, a seat pivot arm pivotally mounted on one of the standards and having an inwardly extending flange of inverted U-shape in vertical cross-section, a yoke secured to the side of the seat adjacent said standard and substantially conforming in shape with and embracing said inwardly extending U-shaped ange, said yoke having a horizontallyelongated slot therein intermediate the ends thereof, and fastening means passing through said slot and engaging the flange on the seat pivot arm- 6. In a chair structure comprising spaced chair supporting standards and a seat supported thereby and therebetween, a seat pivot arm pivotally 

